Adhesive tape dispenser



June 6, 1961 R. v. BURDICK ETAL 2,987,232

ADHESIVE TAPE DISPENSER Filed Aug. 14, 1957 United States Patent() MFiled Aug. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 678,241 8 Claims. (Cl. 225--26) Thisinvention relates to improvements in devices for dispensing adhesivetape in any desired length when peeled or stripped from a roll of suchmaterial rotatably mounted in such devices, having particular referenceto the inclusion of baille means, underlying the stripped but unseveredportion of the tape to prevent said tape portion from readhering itselfto the roll, and the provision of such a device and means is a principalobject of the invention.

Such tapes and devices therefor have considerable utility and aredisclosed, for example, in such patents as Nos. 1,760,820, 2,177,627,Reissue No. 23,129 and No. 2,275,408, as well as others. The inventionsof these patents have met with considerable commercial success and arereadily available for purchase in various forms inthe open market, andhave been for a considerable period of time. However, during all thistime one serious drawback or disadvantage has been prevalent andpresented a problem heretofore not properly solved, that is notoriouslywell known, namely, the lack of suitable bathe means that prevents theunsevered stripped portion of the tape from re-adhering to the roll.When this occurs, it is, to say the least, frustrating and exasperatingto the user to pry the same loose, more often than not, with aconsiderable degree of mutilation because of the excellent, tenacious,adhesive characteristics of the tape.

It long has been felt that to overcome this disadvantage woulddefinitely provide a distinct improvement, and this now has beenaccomplished by means of the present invention.

Generally, while it is an object to provide a solution to the aboveproblem, it is also an object to provide such a device that willaccomplish this new result in such a manner and by such means that areinexpensive, positive in action and will tend appreciably to enhance theutility and appearance thereof.

More specically, it is an object of the invention to provide a blank ofsheet metal formed into a central front wall portion, and oppositelydisposed side wall portions adapted rotatably to mount a roll ofadhesive tape therebetween in spaced relation to the front wall portion,the latter having an outwardly struck and upwardly raised memberterminating in a cutting edge for severing and holding the cut edge ofthe tape and the unsevered, stripped portion extending therefrom to theroll, and baffle means extending from the front Wall between the sidewalls to a point adjacent the roll to underlie the unsevered portion andto block or guard. against it re-adhering to the roll portion from whenit has been stripped.

Another specific object is to provide baffle means including a platerearwardly extending from a point closely adjacent the cutting edge to apoint closely adjacent the roll to underlie the unsevered portion of thetape, the plate being of a length substantially equal to the distancebetween the cutting edge and the roll.

Another specific object is the provision of such a plate Y lying in aplane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the roll and having anextension on the inner end thereof projecting upwardly therefrom andgenerally following the contour of the roll, the extension preferablyterminating in a rounded edge portion traversed by the under side of thetape.

A further specific object of the invention is the provision of such abaiiie plate that is constricted along opposite edges whereby to exposethe underlying marginal edges of Patented June 6, 1,961

lCC

2 the tape in order that the same readily can be grasped and lifted whencaught by the plate.

It is also a specific object to provide the side walls, adjacent such aplate, with inwardly contoured depressions with the edge portionsthereof substantially conforming in `coniguration to the constrictededges of the plate in order more readily to facilitate grasping the freeedges of the overlying tape.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessingthe features, properties, and the relation of elements which will beexemplied in the article hereinafter described and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should be had to the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of a blank of such a device embodied by theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the blank of FIG. 1 shaped into an operabledevice;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary portion of a slightly modified form of adownwardly pitched tape severing edge.

Referring now more particularly to the invention, there is showngenerally at 10, FIG. l, a piece of sheet material, formed from a blankof said material, preferably made of metal, having a central front wallportion 11 and oppositely disposed side Wall portions 12 and 13.Preferably these sections are beaded, as indicated at 14, to

present smooth edges and to reinforce the same. The side Walls 12 and 13are provided with openings terminating in annular iianges 15 to supportthe core of a roll of such tape, as indicated in the dotted lineposition at 16 in FIG. 3, after the side Walls have been bent at rightangles to the front wall 11 and in spaced parallel relation with respectto each other, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 5 of the drawing.

The front Wall 11 is provided with a centrally outwardly struck member,or tongue element, indicated generally at 17 that is raised and foldedupwardly along the dotted line 18 to a vertical position as shown at 19,whereupon it is again bent along dotted line 20 to provide a narrow,outwardly projecting ledge 21 that may extend at right angles to thepanel portion 19 or be pitched downwardly as at 21 in FIG. 6. The ledge21 or 21 terminates in a cutting edge that is preferably serrated asshown at 22.

Upwardly extending from the central wall portion are be means indicatedgenerally at 23. Such baille means preferably include a plate, or tongueelement, 24 which,

of tape 16. This extension 27 terminates in a beadoroverlapped portion28 presenting a rounded edge 29 over which the tape may pass.

It will be observed that the opposite edges of the plate portion 24 areconstricted as at 30 and 31 so that the plate is appreciably narrower inthis area than the width of the tape so that the latter readily can begrasped in the event the unsevered portion 25 of the tape becomesdisengaged from the cutting edge 21 or 21 because it,

will have tended to adhere to the plate portion 24, or the extensiony27, or the overlapped portion 28-or all three portions. By such balemeans the unsevered portion of the tape is substantially completelyprevented from re-adhering itself tenaciously to the roll portion fromwhich it has been stripped or peeled.

, In order to facilitate or enchance the ready removal of the tape whenthe same adheres to the bale means, and particularly to the plateportion 24, portions of the side walls f12' and 13, adjacent the plate24, are contoured inwardly thereof to provide depressions 32 and 3 3whose edge portions conform in configuration to the constricted edges 30and 31, whereby the tape readily can be grasped at its free edgesoverlying such constricted edges and depressions.

It is understood, of course, that in conventional devices of this typeheretofore in use without the bale means of the present invention, thesevered edge of the tape, with subsequent careful handling, may remainadhered along the ledge 21 adjacent the severing edge 22; but to dependupon this makes the device quite unreliable in this respect. Oftenenough, the tape breaks, or is severed or otherwise improperly handledby the user with a suddenness that causes the unsevered portion thereofto spring back or in some other manner to re-adhere to the roll; or thedevice may be thrown into a drawer, or on a shelf, where, in some mannerthe unsevered portion is easily disturbed to re-adhere to the roll. Inany event, Whatever the manner in which such re-adherence occurs, almostall users have had, or sooner or later will encoun-A ter, such adisadvantageous situation, when it becomes almost impossible easily andreadily to free the re-adhering end of the tape from the roll, withoutsome mutilation, or without the aid of some sharp instrument, and thedisadvantages are particularly obnoxious in those emergencies where thetape must be applied most hurriedly.

Such exasperating experiences are overcome by the bae member of thepresent invention against which, indeed, the stripped, unsevered portionof the tape can rst intentionally be made to adhere by pressing thatportion of the tape against the baie. Regardless, however, of how suchundesirable re-adherence might otherwise occur, it is now prevented bythe bathe means of the present invention. VIt will also be understoodthat the bafde means has equal facility and utility whether or not thesevering edge 22 is placed at the extreme end of a horizontal portion21, a downwardly directed part 21', or whether the portions 21 and 21are eliminated entirely, so that a cutting means appears at a verticalor upward edge, for example, along a line extending as a verticalprojection of the portion 19.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and differentembodiments of the invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall Vbe interpretedas illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device for dispensing adhesive tape of the pressure sensitive type,the combination with holding means for rotatably supporting a roll ofsuch tape and means, including a cutting edge, for cutting landtemporarily holding the cut edge of said tape in substantially spacedrelation from said roll, of bafe means extending between said last namedmeans and said roll where the tape is peeled therefrom, whereby toengage the peeled portion of said tape to block the'same Ifromre-adhering itself Iagainst said roll dislodged from said last namedmeans, said baie means a Y aesvgasay Y' l 4 including a plate rearwardlyextending from a line adjacent said cutting edge to a line adjacent saidroll to underlie the peeled portion of said tape `and being of a lengthsubstantially equal to the distance between said cutting edge -and rolland lying in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of saidroll,andan extension on the inner end of said plate upwardly projectingtherefrom and generally following the contour of said roll, saidextension terminating in a rounded edge portion across which theunderside of said tape passes.

2. A device for dispensing adhesive tape of the pressure sensitive type,the combination with holding means for rotatably supporting a roll ofsuch tape and means, including a cutting edge, for cutting andtemporarily holding the cut edge of said tape in substantially spacedrelation from said roll, of baffle means extending between said lastnamed means and said roll where the tape is peeled therefrom, whereby toengage the peeled portion of said tape to block the same fromre-adhering itself against said roll if dislodged from said last namedmeans, said bafe means including a plate rearwardly extending from a'line adjacent said cutting edge to a line adjacent said roll tounder-lie the peeled portion of saidV tape and being of a lengthsubstantially equal to the distance bef tween said cutting edge- `androll and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of saidroll, said plate being constricted along opposite edges underlying theopposite longitudinal edges of said tape to expose the latter on itsunderlying marginal edges adjacent said constricted plate area, wherebysaid tape readily can be grasped and lifted from an adher-ing positiononsaid plate.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a single piece ofsheet material die-cut and formed from a blank of said material toprovide a central front wall and laterally disposed side walls co-planartherewith adapted to be rearwardly bent in parallel spaced relation onopposite sides of said front wall and rotatably to hold a roll ofpressure sensitive adhesive tape coaxially therebetween, said front wallhaving a cutting tongue member partially cut out `from the center of thewall surface and terminating in a cutting edge adapted to be bentupwardly along its point of attachment to the front wall andthereagainst to cut tape when stripped from said roll transverselythereof, land a baffle plate extending upwardly of said front wall abovesaid cutting tongue member Aand in the same plane therewith adaptedrearwardly to be bent along a line adjacent said cutting tongue memberto extend to a line adjacent said roll underneathV said tape when sostripped to engage and hold the latter should the same become dislodgedlfrom said cutting edge after a portion has been severed therefrom andto block the remaining stripped portion of tape against adhering to saidroll from which it has been stripped.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, and further charac terized in thatsaid baffle plate includes a projecting member extending between andabove said side walls in spaced rela-tion thereto before bending.

5. A device according to claim 4, and wherein said projecting member isadapted to be bent to follow the contour of said roll when said deviceis formed by bending to receive said roll, said member terminating in arounded edge across which the underside of said tape passes.

. 6. A device according to claim 4, and wherein said baffle plate isconstricted along opposite marginal edges whereby said tape readily canbe grasped and lifted Yfrom an adhering position thereon.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6, in which portions of saidY sidewalls adjacent opposite sides of said bafe plate are' contoured toprovide depressions with the edge portions thereof substantiallyconforming in configuration to said constricted baffle plate edges,whereby readily to facili-tate removal of said tape 4adhering to saidtongue when overlying said constricted edges and depressions.

. 8. A devi'cewfor dispensing adhesivetape of the'pre'ssure'v rotatablysupporting a roll of such tape and means integral therewith, including acutting edge for cutting and temporarily holding the cut edge of saidtape in substantially spaced relation from said roll, of baffle meansintegrally extending from and between said last named means and saidroll where the tape is peeled therefrom, whereby to engage the peeledportion of said tape to block and hold the same from re-adhering itselfagainst said roll if dislodged from said last named means, said bafiemeans in cluding an integral tongue element rearwardly bent transversely thereof along a bending line away from said cutting edge andterminating in an end that extends to a line underneath the adhesiveside of said tape adjacent said roll where said tape is peeled therefromto underlie substantially the entire peeled off portion of said tape,and being of a length substantially equal to the distance from saidbending line adjacent the cutting edge to said roll,

and a. second tongue element outwardly struck from said means forsupporting said tape below said bending line, which said second tongueelement is bent upwardly along a line substantially parallel to the axisof said roll and terminates said cutting edge in advance of the bendingline of said rearwardly bent first named tongue element.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

